Why Kubica's F1 racing return was put on hold

Many wanted it to happen, but Robert Kubica will not be a Formula 1 race driver in 2018. But while he's been beaten to a Williams seat by a well-backed Russian, Kubica's dream is not over yet

It all started with a harmless conversation. Williams was evaluating its driver options for 2018 and Robert Kubica wanted to find out whether he still had the ability to drive a Formula 1 car at a high level, after sustaining life-threatening injuries in a rally crash back in '11.

Renault started the evaluation, then Williams chose to pick up the baton. It and Kubica met to discuss how they could help each other out. There were echoes of 2013, when Felipe Massa and Williams started conversations because their aims aligned.